Erica Verrillo has written seven books and published five. She doesn't know why anyone with an ounce of self-preservation would ever want to publish. But, if you insist on selling your soul to the devil, learn how to do it right: marketing, literary agents, book promotion, editing, pitching your book, how to get reviews, and ... most important of all ... everything she did wrong.
In the interests of protecting the right to free speech, she did not vote for Trump.
#NotMyPresident

Genre: Original Short stories, as short as you please or as long as 3K words - written as a caller to a paranormal talk radio show. Your story must be written in the first person, as recounted by the caller.

"We are looking for fairy tale retellings featuring princesses. Whether it be Snow White, Rapunzel, or one of the lesser know princesses, we will consider them all! We will consider any sub-genre. If you want to make a Cinderella story in space, send it. Sleeping Beauty horror? Yes please. Steampunk Little Mermaid? Go ahead. Erotica Rapunzel? We're interested."

"Krampus is the "corrective" to Saint Nick or Santa's indulgence and generosity. He carries a switch and chains, and sometimes throws very rotten children in a basket he carries on his back. He has horns, hooves, and a creepy, long tongue. He's horrible and fascinating at the same time."

Theme: Curvy & Confident: "Women come in all shapes and sizes. We’re all beautiful and the key is to be fit and healthy within the body type that we were issued at birth. Our new book is all about body image, self-esteem, and feeling comfortable within our own skins. We want to stress the mind + body + spirit connection, the rational consumption of foods that we like (no stringent dieting) and the pursuit of exercise that makes us feel happy and connected to the wonderful machines that are our bodies."

"Take us deep into the forest and show us what we'll find within. Whether it's leafy branches hiding elfin lords or a steampunk graveyard covered in mechanical vines, we want to know what's hidden inside the forest and what dragons (or rogue robot monsters) our heroes will have to slay to make their way through. Paint us a vivid world that makes us want to explore the realm you create. Give us new heroes to love and villains we love to hate. We're looking for an eclectic mix of stories that give us a new view of the forest and features smart storytelling."

Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy/Speculative (please no horror)

Length: 3000 - 8000 words (flexible, but the longer the story the stronger it must be)

Over the Rainbow will be an anthology that explores the power of fairy tales to introduce the under-represented. We encourage authors to explore Queer (LGBTIA2 and QUILTBAG) stories, tales of people with disabilities, tales of mental health, poly relationships, and bodily diversity. Our hope is to use fairy tales to smash tradition and reshape it with (dis)enchantment.

Theme: Songs. "Have you ever listened to a song and wondered what the lyrics are really about? Perhaps you’ve imagined a story inspired by a song. We are looking for Speculative Fiction stories inspired by a song."

"Sometimes magic happens in your life. You have a dream that reveals a truth or a course of action to you. You have a premonition that changes your behavior and saves you or a loved one from disaster. You meet someone at just the right time and you can’t believe the coincidence. We’re collecting stories for a second book on this topic, following our bestseller Chicken Soup for the Soul: Dreams and Premonitions. Share your stories about the amazing things that have happened in your own life."

"In 2017 Canada will celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation. Our Canadian writers and readers will be focused on what Canada, and being Canadian, means. Send us your stories about what it means to be a Canadian, whether you're talking about hockey or camping, Celtic fiddle music and step dancing or singing “O Canada,” or any of the other things that make you so proud—and grateful—to be Canadian."

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

There are more than two dozen free contests in August. Some, like the Governor General's Award, are quite prestigious. Every genre and style is represented in these contests, from flash creative nonfiction, to poetry, to humor. Some of these contests have age and regional restrictions, so be sure to read the full guidelines before submitting.

Good luck!

Note: I post a list of free upcoming contests the last week of every month. But if you want to get a jump on contests, "Free Contests" is regularly updated. Be sure to check there for future as well as past contests - many are held annually.

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The Governor General’s Literary Awards. Restrictions: Books must have been written, translated or illustrated by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. Genre: Best English-language and the best French-language book will be chosen in each of the seven categories of Fiction, Literary Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Children’s Literature (text), Children’s Literature (illustrated books) and Translation (from French to English). Prize: $1,000 - $25,000. Deadline: Books and bound proofs published between 16 May 2016 and 30 September 2016 must reach the Canada Council no later than 1 August 2016.

Milwaukee Irish Fest. Genre: Poetry. Entries should have a culture/literary relation to either Ireland, Irish-America, or to Irish poetry. Prize: $100. Deadline: August 1, 2016.

Boardman Tasker Prize. Restrictions: Books published between 1st August 2015 and 31st July 2016 in the UK. Genre: Books with mountain,not necessarily mountaineering, theme whether fiction, non-fiction, drama or poetry, written in the English language. Prize: £3,000.00. Deadline: August 1, 2016.

Delaware Division of the Arts Individual Artist Fellowships. Restrictions: Delaware poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers who have lived in Delaware for at least one year prior to application and who are not enrolled in a degree-granting program. Genres: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction. Prize: Established Professional Fellowships of $6,000 each and Emerging Artist Fellowships of $3,000 each. Deadline: August 1, 2016.

Leeway Foundation Art and Change Grants. Restrictions: Writers living in Bucks, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia counties (Pennsylvania) who are 18 years of age or older and who are not full-time students in a degree-granting arts program are eligible. Genres: Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction. Prize: $2500. Deadline: August 1, 2016.

Spectator Competition. Submit a poem on the theme of summer in which the last two words of each line rhyme. Please email (wherever possible) entries of up to 16 lines to lucy@spectator.co.uk. Prize: Publication. Deadline: August 3, 2016.Costa Short Story Award. Restrictions: Residents of UK and Ireland. Genre: Short story. Prize: £3,500.00. Deadline: August 5, 2016.

Harvill Secker Young Translators' Prize. Restrictions: Open to anyone between the ages of 18 and 34.Genre: Short story translation from Norwegian to English. Prize: £1,000.00. Deadline: August 5, 2016.

RBC Taylor Prize. Restrictions: Citizens or residents of Canada. Must be published author. Genre: Literary nonfiction. Prize: $25,000 (CAN). Deadline: August 7, 2016 for books published between May 30 and July 31, 2016.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Poets living in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington D.C., or West Virginia. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500, publication by Broadkill River Press, ten author copies, and two cases of Dogfish Head craft beer. Deadline: August 15, 2016.

PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship. Restrictions: Candidates must have published one or more novels for children or young adults that have been warmly received by literary critics, but have not generated sufficient income to support the author. Genre: Book-length children's or young-adult fiction.Prize: $5000. Deadline: August 15, 2016.

Scotiabank Giller Prize. Restrictions: Open to books published in Canada in English between October 1, 2015 and September 30, 2016. Must be nominated by publisher. Genre: Fiction. Full-length novel or collection of short stories published in English, either originally, or in translation. Prize: $100.000 to the winner and $10,000 to each of the finalists. Deadline: August 15, 2016.

Unplag Plagiarism Busters Contest. Restrictions: Open to students. Genre: Short story (up to 300 words) describing your actions in the following situation – the army of ghosts is overrunning your school/college/university – and don’t forget to add the hashtags #Unplag and #PlagiarismBusters. Prize: $150 Amazon gift card. Deadline: August 18, 2016.
.Michael Marks Awards for Poetry Pamphlets. Restrictions: Book must be published in the UK between July 2015 and the end of June 2016. resident Genre: Published Poetry Book. Prize: £5000. Deadline: August 26, 2016.

Eugene Paul Nassar Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Author must be resident of Upstate New York. Genre: Book of poems in English, at least 48 pages long, published between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016. Prize: $2,000. Deadline: August 31, 2016.

Epigram Books Fiction Prize. Restrictions: Authors must be Singaporean, Singaporean permanent resident or Singapore-born. Genre: A full-length, original and unpublished novel written in the English language. Prize: $20,000. Deadline: August 31, 2016.

Thursday, July 21, 2016

August, a month when people kick back and writing conferences kick in, is nearly here. (You'll notice that quite a few of these upcoming conferences are held near beaches, in mountains, or in other scenic locales.)

Writers have a lot to gain and nothing to lose from attending a conference. There are opportunities to talk to authors, pitch sessions with agents, as well as workshops covering every aspect of writing and publishing. In addition, you get to share experiences with other writers. I encourage you to attend one!

Note: For a monthly listing of conferences, as well as how to find upcoming conferences, see Writing Conferences. Many of these are offered annually, so if you missed a conference you'd like to attend, you can always plan to attend next year.

Whole Novel Workshop. August 7-13, 2016, Honesdale, Pennsylvania. Sponsored by Highlights Foundation. The Whole Novel Workshop is specifically designed for writers of middle-grade and young adult novels. This unique program offers the one-on-one attention found in degree programs, but without additional academic requirements, lengthy time commitments, or prohibitive financial investments. Our aim is to focus on a specific work in progress, moving a novel to the next level in preparation for submission to agents or publishers. Focused attention in an intimate setting makes this mentorship program one that guarantees significant progress. Waitlisted.

Elk River Writer’s Workshop. August 8 - 11, 2016, Paradise Valley, Montana. Workshops, seminars, lectures, and readings for poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers. The conference features workshops, seminars, lectures, and readings for poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers. The faculty includes poet, fiction writer, and nonfiction writer Linda Hogan; fiction writers Jamie Ford and Nina McConigley; and fiction and nonfiction writer Craig Lesley. The cost of the workshop is $1,000; meals are available for an additional $200. Lodging is available at the conference hotel for discounted rates. Using the online submission system, submit a writing sample of up to 1,000 words and a letter of intent of up to 250 words with a $15 application fee. Registration deadline: July 1.

Vermont College of Fine Arts Postgraduate Writers’ Conference. August 8-14, 2016, Montpelier, Vermont. The conference is designed for writers with graduate degrees or equivalent experience. Workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as readings, craft classes, and individual consultations with faculty members. Each workshop is limited to five or six participants. Faculty includes poets Eduardo C. Corral, Kathleen Graber, Patricia Smith, David Wojahn, and Kevin Young; fiction writers Steve Almond, Andre Dubus III, Ann Hood, Ellen Lesser, and Lee Martin; and creative nonfiction writers Richard McCann, Sue William Silverman, Anthony Swofford, and Joan Wickersham. Tuition is $985 for all workshops except for the poetry manuscript workshop, which is $1,125.

Travel Writers & Photographers Conference. August 11–14, 2016, Corte Madera, Calif. Writing and photography workshops in the morning, a full afternoon of panels and discussions, and evening faculty presentations. There are optional, working field trips to explore the resources of the Bay Area. The faculty includes publishers, magazine editors, photographers, travel essayists, food writers, restauranteurs, guidebook writers, and more.

Mid-Atlantic Fiction Writers Institute. August 12 - 13, 2016, Hagerstown, Maryland. The annual MAFWI summer conference offers workshops and breakout sessions by bestselling authors, college faculty, and experienced public relations professionals. From story fundamentals like plot and point of view to seasoned advice on how to market your work, there is something for writers of every genre.

Writer’s Digest Conference. August 12 - 14, 2016, New York. Annual Writer's Digest Conference featuring: Pitch Slam, with more than fifty agents and editors in attendance, educational tracks devoted to publishing and self-publishing, platform and promotion, and the craft of writing, speakers and instructors.

Revision Retreat. August 13 – 17, 2016, Honesdale, Pennsylvania. Sponsored by Highlights Foundation. In this working retreat, Harold Underdown and editor Eileen Robinson will teach proven techniques for self-editing and revising and help writers try them out on their manuscripts. Mornings will be dedicated to revision techniques and afternoons to model critique groups, individual meetings, and writing time.

Historical Writers of America. August 19 - 21, 2016, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. Workshops for fiction and nonfiction, research, the submission process, the road to publication, and the life of a historical writer; networking opportunities including keynote luncheon and dinner, theme receptions, and collaboration and brain-storming sessions.

How Do Poets Get Published? Learning What It Takes. August 21 – 24, 2016, Honesdale, Pennsylvania. Sponsored by Highlights Foundation. Two weeks prior to the workshop, you’ll have an opportunity to submit a maximum of three poems that will be critiqued in writing. You can also submit questions that will be answered by guest speakers, including a poetry editor, story editor (rhyming picture books), magazine editor, and art director. You’ll also have the chance to speak with them personally. Mornings will be devoted to presentations, prompts, and one-on-one consultations. Afternoons will include guest speaker presentations, writing time, and additional one-on-ones.

Whole Novel Workshop: Middle Grade and Young Adult. August 21 – 27, 2016, Honesdale, Pennsylvania. Sponsored by Highlights Foundation. The Whole Novel Workshop offers participating writers the opportunity to have full drafts of their novels read and critiqued prior to the workshop. You’ll get a detailed editorial letter from your faculty mentor along with a marked-up manuscript. You’ll also have two one-on-one meetings with your mentor to further discuss your manuscript—one at the start of the week and another at the end—to map out plans for revision.

Peripatetic Writing Workshop and Retreat. August 22 - September 5, 2016, Woodstock, NY. The first week of the conference features daily workshops, discussions, readings, and time to write. The second week of the conference features writing time, discussions, readings, and individual manuscript tutorials. The faculty includes fiction and nonfiction writers Maureen Brady, Martha E. Hughes, and Aaron Hamburger. Writers may participate in one or both weeks. The cost of the conference is $1,495 per week, which includes workshops, a single room with a shared bath (the cost of a double room with a shared bath is $1195), daily breakfasts, and some dinners. Application deadline: July 15.

About Sarah: Sarah first worked at Orion before doing a stint in script development for TV and film. She then moved to become assistant to Juliet Mushens and Diana Beaumont for two years. Twitter: @SarahManning123

What she is seeking: Sarah Manning represents commercial and accessible literary adult fiction and nonfiction in the area of memoir, lifestyle and narrative nonfiction. She is based in the Bent Agency’s UK office. Sarah's taste is varied and she enjoys crime, thrillers, historical fiction, commercial women's fiction, accessible literary fiction, fantasy and YA. She likes big ideas that look at events or characters from new perspectives.

How to Submit: Please send your query and your first 10 pages in the body of your email to: manningqueries@thebentagency.com

About Marya: Raised in California’s Bay Area, Marya studied literature at Harvard, where she was Fiction Editor for the Advocate and specialized in creative writing. She went on to get her MFA at New York University and teach undergraduate creative writing there. She also spent these years in her 20’s working and interning at The New Yorker, PAPER Mag, Travel & Leisure, Vanity Fair, Publishers Weekly, METROPOLIS Magazine, and more—with a brief stint in equity research.

What she is seeking: Marya represents a diverse range in fiction and nonfiction, including, but not limited to, literary novels and collections, upmarket commercial fiction, cultural criticism and voice-driven essays, narrative journalism with a humorous or critical edge, and pop culture.

How to Submit: If you would like to submit your work to Janklow & Nesbit, please include the following: For fiction submissions, send an informative cover letter, a brief synopsis and the first ten pages. If you are sending an e-mail submission, please include the sample pages in the body of the e-mail below your query. For nonfiction submissions, send an informative cover letter and a full outline to the address below. Please address your submission to an individual agent. Be sure to include your email address or a return envelope with sufficient postage if you would like your material sent back to you. For e-mail submissions, please send your material to submissions [at] janklow.com.

Both authors had a background in advertising and understood marketing. Both positioned themselves as independent publishers. (In Scott's case he formed a LLC.) But in important ways, their stories diverge. Unlike Scott, the author of Diary (Anonymous) peddled his book directly to bookstores. He started small, but eventually got his book into Barnes & Noble. He then focused heavily on advertising.

Living in New York City meant that Anonymous had an advantage when it came to posters and bookstores, but considering the wide reach of the Internet, almost anyone with an understanding of their potential readers could do what Anonymous did.

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How 'Diary Of an Oxygen Thief' Went from Self-Published Obscurity to Bestsellerdom

You may not know what Diary of an Oxygen Thief is about, but you might have heard the title. Or maybe you saw a picture of the book on Instagram, or read a discussion of it—positive or negative—on Twitter. And that’s by design: a design carried out by the book’s anonymous author over 10 years.

The slim novel, which details the travails of a broken-hearted, alcoholic, and bitter misogynist (who is also an unreliable narrator), was self-published in 2006. After selling nearly 100,000 copies—predominantly in trade paperback and e-book—the book was acquired by Simon & Schuster’s Gallery Books imprint in May, and re-released by the Simon & Schuster imprint on June 14. In its first three weeks on sale, the title has gotten off to a respectable start, selling roughly 14,000 copies, according to Nielsen BookScan. The book’s unlikely rise, from underground hit to Big Five-published novel, is due predominantly to the marketing efforts of its anonymous author. He pulled off a savvy publicity campaign that prioritized, above all else, getting the book’s title shared on social media.

The author, who asked that his name be kept out of print, spoke to PW from his apartment in New York’s East Village about the long, strange trip of publishing —and promoting—Diary.

A Brit who honed his advertising craft at some of the major agencies in London, then New York, the author self-published the novel in Amsterdam in 2006. At that time he was working for an ad agency in the Netherlands and, after having the book rejected by a number of U.S.-based literary agents, a friend of a friend offered to print him 1,000 hardcover copies for free. Although the author hadn’t intended to self-publish, he decided to make use of the copies he suddenly had. After taking one into a bookstore in Amsterdam, he was pleasantly surprised by the fact that he got the title on the shelf. “[The bookseller] held [the book] up and shook it,” the author said. “I think he had this fear, because it was self-published, that it was poorly made and would fall apart. He never looked at the text. He then said he’d take three copies.”

Soon the author was taking requests for bigger orders from the Amsterdam bookshop. He also started getting copies into bookshops in other cities, such as Paris’s Shakespeare & Co.; the stores, he noted, all catered to young hipsters, whom he considered his target market. After moving back to New York City, the author, who was then working freelance advertising gigs, felt emboldened by the success he had selling, and distributing, the book in Europe. He decided to do a 5,000-copy print run of a new trade paperback edition, and to focus almost entirely on selling it. “I was getting just about enough orders that, if I lived a simple life, I could pull it off,” the author said.

Amping up his promotional efforts, the author hit several indie bookstores in N.Y.C., gaining particular traction at Spoonbill & Sugartown in Williamsburg, Brooklyn; the East Village’s former St. Mark’s Bookshop; and Nolita’s McNally Jackson. To get copies into Barnes & Noble, the author posed as an independent publisher and pushed the title through the retailer’s small-press program. (No meetings were required with B&N; everything was done via email. The author, calling himself V Publishing, told the retailer that his house was targeting the “hipster market, the most elusive of all segments” and would rely on guerilla marketing. He also showed the retailer some YouTube clips he’d made promoting the book. B&N placed an initial order of 100 copies.)

Intent on building underground buzz for the book, the author focused on promotional efforts that would make people google the book’s title. From his limited sales in bookshops he felt confident that he could land readers by getting the book’s cover (which features a picture of a snowman whose carrot nose has been repositioned to look like a penis) seen, and its title shared.

About Carlie: For ten years, she worked as a public librarian serving teens and adults, served on book awards committees, and reviewed books professionally for journals including Kirkus Reviews and VOYA. Wishing to pursue her interest in the business side of books, she then enrolled in the Columbia Publishing Course. Her professional publishing experience includes an internship at Writers House and work with the Publish or Perish Agency/New England Publishing Associates and the Jane Rotrosen Agency.

What she is looking for: “I prefer my adult speculative fiction to have some grounding in reality, so for that audience am looking for SF set in our world, or a world with strong echoes of our own. I’d love books like YEAR ZERO by Rob Reid or READY PLAYER ONE by Ernest Cline. I’m a little more flexible when it comes to YA in terms of being removed from reality, and I especially enjoy teen books set in alternate societies. Some YA books along the lines of what I’m looking for include LEGEND by Marie Lu and THE DARKEST MINDS by Alexandra Bracken.”

How to Submit: To submit your work for consideration, please send a query letter, synopsis, and the first 30 pages (or three chapters of your work, whichever is more) to carlie [@] ckwebber.com and put the word “Query” in the subject line of your email. You may include your materials either in the body of your email or as a Word or PDF attachment. Blank emails that include an attachment will be deleted unread. She only accepts queries via email.

About Jennie: Jennie Goloboy has a PhD in the History of American Civilization from Harvard. She is also a published author of both history and fiction, and a member of SFWA, RWA, SHEAR, OAH, the AHA, and Codex Writer’s Group.

What she is looking for: “I’m especially looking for adult sci-fi and fantasy. Lighthearted and optimistic books are always welcome, and I love diverse protagonists. Have you got an unusual premise and an engaging protagonist? Send it my way!”

How to Submit: Send queries to jennie [@] redsofaliterary.com. “We highly encourage everyone to send an email and/or query letter initially, before attempting to send a full book proposal or sample chapters. If there is an interest, we will directly contact the author. If querying via email, please only put the contents of your query IN the email. We will not open attachments unless they have been requested in advance.” Please do not query Amanda Rutter of Red Sofa Literary (also on this list) if querying Jennie.

About Moe: "Becoming a literary agent was fitting for the girl who, as a small child, begged her dad to buy her a book simply because "it has a hard cover." Growing up, she had a hard time finding YA books outside of Christopher Pike and R. L. Stine, and instead tackled Tom Clancy or her mom's romance novels. Though her career path zigzagged a bit—she attended college as a music major, earned a JD from Pace Law School, then worked various jobs throughout the publishing industry—Moe was thrilled to join the BookEnds team in May of 2015 as a literary agent and the foreign rights manager."

What she is seeking: Moe is interested in science fiction and fantasy for all age groups (no picture books).

How to Submit: Send queries to MFsubmissions [@] bookendsliterary.com. Queries should be no more than a one-page query letter in the body of the e-mail. At this stage in the submission process we will not accept or open attachments. Address your query to Moe specifically.

About Marisa: Marisa A. Corvisiero is the founder of the Corvisiero Literary Agency and our Senior Literary Agent. During the few years prior to starting her own agency, Marisa worked with the L. Perkins Agency, where she learned invaluable lessons and made a name for herself in the industry. She is also a Literary Consultant, Speaker, Author and an Attorney practicing law with a focus on Corporate Law and Estate Planning in New York City

What she is looking for: “I love heavy science books (THE MARTIAN types) with quirky characters, or flawed redeemable characters who save the day. I’m an energy, space, and time travel nerd. So bring it on! I’m also really looking for MG and YA. MG Science fiction would be a dream. Especially if there is some kind of adventure and high stakes, even if the stakes are just important to the main character. They don’t have to be saving the world, but if they are it needs to be a well thought out and unique idea.”

How to Submit: Marisa prefers that you attach the 1-2 page synopsis (double-spaced) and the first 5 pages of your manuscript to the query e-mail as separate Word .doc or .docx files. No paper or faxed submissions will be reviewed. Send all queries to query [@] corvisieroagency.com and address Marisa by name in the salutation.

About DongWon: DongWon Song is a literary agent at Howard Morhaim Literary. He was formerly an editor at Orbit, an imprint of Hachette Book Group. There, he launched multiple New York Times bestselling series, including FEED by Mira Grant and LEVIATHAN WAKES by James S.A. Corey. He was the first hire at a publishing startup, Zola Books, and while there oversaw content and eventually became the head of product for the ecommerce and ebook apps. He is a graduate of Duke University with a BA in English and Economics.

What he is seeking: “I’m specifically looking for Science Fiction for YA (no middle grade), Space Opera, and Smart Near Future SF. NO Military SF or Cyberpunk or thrillers.”

How to Submit: Email your query letter and the first three chapters of your novel. Email attachments are acceptable. No snail mail submissions will be considered. Send queries to dongwon [@] morhaimliterary.com.

What she is looking for: “I’m most interested in novels with elements of SF, not overwhelmingly in-your-face SF (meaning entire space settings, alien-focused stories, inter-planet battles, and that sort of thing, aren’t right for me).”

How to Submit: Please send an email with QUERY and the manuscript title in the email's subject line. In the body of the email, please paste your query letter, the first ten pages of the manuscript, a full synopsis, and an author bio.

About Caitlin: Caitlin McDonald joined DMLA in 2015, and was previously at Sterling Lord Literistic. She represents adult and young adult speculative fiction, primarily science-fiction, fantasy, horror, and related subgenres, as well as contemporary fiction about geeky characters. She also handles a small amount of nonfiction in geeky areas, with a focus on feminist theory/women’s issues and pop culture. Caitlin grew up overseas and has a BA in Creative Writing from Columbia University.

What she is seeking: All science fiction and fantasy fiction (and subgenres) for adult, YA, and MG — especially secondary world fantasy and alternate history.

How to Submit: To query, please email query.cmcdonald [@] maassagency.com with the query letter, synopsis, and the first ten pages of your novel pasted into the body of the email.

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Penny Moore (Empire Literary)

About Penny: While completing degrees in Linguistics and Japanese Language & Literature at the University of Georgia, she spent time studying comparative literature at top universities in Japan and South Korea. She then spent time as a middle school TESOL teacher, a period during which she grew to love and understand the children’s book market. In 2013 she found her way to FinePrint Literary as an intern, officially joining the agency in 2014. She joined Empire Literary in 2016.

What she is looking for: In middle grade, and young adult fantasy and sci-fi. in adult fiction, her tastes lean towards literary, speculative fiction, sci-fi, fantasy.

About Amanda: Amanda is a literary agent at Red Sofa Literary. She is a book reviewer, and produces work for her own blog, Floor to Ceiling Books, but can also be found reviewing for Tor.com, Hub Magazine, Vector and Fantasy Literature. Before becoming an agent, Amanda was an editor with Angry Robot, helping to sign books and authors for the Strange Chemistry imprint. In her free time, she is a yarn fiend, knitting and crocheting a storm. Find her on Twitter at @ALRutter.

What she is seeking: Adult fantasy and science fiction, as well as young adult fantasy.

How to Submit: Send queries to Amanda [@] redsofaliterary.com. “We highly encourage everyone to send an email and/or query letter initially, before sending sample chapters. If there is an interest, we will directly contact the author. If querying via email, please only put the contents of your query IN the email. We will not open attachments unless they have been requested in advance.” Please do not query Jennie Goloboy of Red Sofa Literary (also on this list) if querying Amanda.

About Matt: Matt has been in the publishing community since 1985, and worked at two major literary agencies before joining the Greenburger team in 2003. While his list includes many veteran authors, he also enjoys finding unique new voices.

How to Submit: Please send query letter in the body of your email, and then send the following as an attachment: the first three chapters of your book. No snail-mail queries will be accepted. Send queries to mbialer [@] sjga.com.

About Andy: About Andy: Andy joined The Gernert Company in 2012 after two years working for Aram Fox, Inc., where he scouted books for foreign publishers. He grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, lived in North Carolina for five years, and worked briefly as a cross-country coach at a boarding school before starting his career in publishing. He lives in Brooklyn and runs in Prospect Park.

How to Submit: Send queries to info [@] thegarnertco.com. The email subject line should read “Query for Andy: [Title].” Feel free to paste a sample chapter in the email body below the query.

About Lisa: Lisa grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and graduated from California State University, Sacramento, in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and a minor in German literature-in-translation, history, and culture (sadly, she doesn’t speak German, although it’s on her bucket list). She moved to New York City in 2012 to attend NYU’s Summer Publishing Institute and joined the JABberwocky team a few months later. She’s previously worked at San Francisco Book Review and Barnes & Noble, interned at Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency, and was a submissions reader for Lightspeed Magazine. She is a member of Romance Writers of America.

What she is looking for: Fantasy: "I’m particularly drawn to characters whose struggles include not just “the quest”, but also choices that challenge their beliefs or values. I love both high- and low-magic fantasies; cohesive worldbuilding is the more important ingredient. While I tend to prefer epic, contemporary, or dark fantasies, I also enjoy trying new things.

Science Fiction: I love SF of all stripes, and in particular I’m drawn toward space opera and military SF. To explore what it means to be human, how technology (or aliens) affects that definition, and how to remain human given that (or if we should at all) are particularly intriguing to me. Large-scale stories are fantastic, but I’m also very interested in smaller-scale stories, where there focus is on a particular group of characters and not necessarily the fate of the galaxy. (And I really love space battles.)

For both science fiction and fantasy, complex magical/technological, political, and social systems are all good things in my book, as are moral quandaries and ambiguity. I’m also very interested in seeing female protagonists and/or settings outside the typical European setting."

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Romance brings to mind misty moors, scowling Scots, and windswept women. Perhaps it's not surprising that Scotland is where most romance readers prefer their stories to be set. (I blame Wuthering Heights.)

But where historical romance is concerned, any period or place will do - Regency, American Revolution, Civil War (yup, I'm thinking of Gone With the Wind), Wild West, French Revolution, Vikings, Ancient Egyptians, Cavemen - just pick a place and time, and make your characters fall in love.

About Scott: Scott draws on his extensive background in education, writing and literature to assist the writers at Greyhaus. He has a BA in English/Literature, a MA in Creative Writing and a MA in Literacy.

What he is looking for: Historical romance

How to Submit: submissions [@] greyhausagency.com. Send only a query letter within the body of the email. Do not send attachments. Do not send partials or full manuscripts or a synopsis embedded in the email.

About Jessica: She graduated from the University of California at Irvine with a degree in sociocultural anthropology and English. Jessica has made books a serious part of her life for many years. During college, she started an indie review blog that has featured author interviews and has reviewed several self-published books that eventually ended up on the New York Times Best Seller list.

What she is looking for: “I VERY much want American historical romance (particularly Civil War, westward expansion, and California Gold Rush) that would be super. I am accepting all types of historical, but American historical is definitely my wheelhouse, and I’m anticipating we’ll see a swing towards it in the next two years.”

How to Submit: jessica [@] dijkstraagency.com. Please send a query letter, a one-page synopsis, a brief bio (including any description of your publishing history), and the first 10-15 pages of your manuscript. Please send all items in the body of the email, not as an attachment. Include the word “QUERY” in the subject line.

About Nicole: Nicole has been listed by Publisher's Marketplace as a top dealmaker in the country, and named ACFW's 2012 Agent of the Year. She loves discovering new talent and helping established authors to take their career to the next level.

What she is looking for: “Anything Highlander. Regency with a really distinct hook. Diverse settings and time periods. Would love something in the vein of Johanna Lindsey’s ‘Mallory’ Family Saga or Teresa Medeiros (LADY OF CONQUEST, for example).”

How to Submit: Send all queries to nicole [at] theseymouragency.com. The subject line should be “QUERY: (Title)”. Please past the first five pages in the body of the e-mail.

About Laura: Laura Bradford established the Bradford Literary Agency in 2001. She considers herself an editorial-focused agent and takes a hands-on approach to developing proposals and manuscripts with her authors for the most appropriate markets.

What she is looking for: Historical romance

How to Submit: queries [@] bradfordlit.com. Subject line should begin as follows—QUERY: (The title of the manuscript and any SHORT message you would like us to see). Please email a query letter along with the first chapter of your manuscript and a synopsis. Please be sure to include the genre and word count in your cover letter.

About Emmanuelle: She joined Stonesong as an agent in January 2012. Previously she was an agent at Judith Ehrlich Literary and Wendy Sherman Associates, and an editor at Fodor’s, the travel division of Random House. She enjoys developing long-term relationships with her clients, working closely with them to build their literary careers.

What she is looking for: Historical romance

How to Submit: submissions [at] stonesong.com addressed to Emmanuelle. Include the word ‘query’ in the subject line of your email to ensure we receive it and it isn’t filtered as spam. Include the first chapter or first 10 pages of your work, pasted into the body of your email, so that we may get a sense of your writing. Please note that Emmanuelle is closed to submissions during the months of August and December. We also welcome queries from independent and self-published authors. If you have self-published your book and are interested in working with a publisher for future works, please include descriptions of published and forthcoming works, as well as information about sales and reviews.

How to Submit: querysarah [@] nyliterary.com. Please send a query letter, along with the initial 25 pages of your material. As sample material is vital for all queries, feel free to send via attachment rather than pasting pages directly into the body of your email.

About Elise: Elise graduated from St. Olaf College and the NYU Summer Publishing Institute in 2014, and spent several months interning at Penguin’s New American Library imprint, Folio Literary Management, and Susanna Lea Associates before taking on her current position at Harold Ober Associates. She grew up in both Florida and Minnesota, but is quickly learning to love city life in NYC. Elise is passionate about the role and responsibility of the literary agent, especially being an advocate for authors. In addition to working with books, she currently assists in selling Harold Ober’s TV, film, and subsidiary rights, and is actively building a client list of her own.

What she is looking for: Romance and all of its subgenres

How to Submit: Please email the first 15-20 pages of your manuscript, a concise query letter, and a brief synopsis to elise [@] haroldober.com.

About Jen: Jen Hunt graduated from the University of Reno, Nevada with an English Literature degree and an unholy fascination with Victorian literature, although contrary to popular belief, she doesn't wear a corset. She does drink way too much coffee and enjoys watching the BBC. Another remake of a Jane Austen classic? Game on!

What she is looking for: Historical anything

How to Submit: Send queries to query [@] thebookeralbertagency.com. Include a query and the first 10 pages of your manuscript copy/pasted into the body of an email (no attachments unless requested), genre and word count, and your name and contact information. If you have publishing credits, please give us relevant information: name of the book/anthology/story, publisher, publication date, sales info. In the subject line: please be sure to include “Query” and Jen’s name, and the title of your manuscript.

About Saritza: Saritza is the leading literary agent in digital publishing deals. An avid coffee-drinker with a Kindle book obsession, she enjoys a steaming cup of strong Cuban coffee every morning while reading an erotic contemporary romance or action-packed science fiction adventure. A strong advocate of the GLBT community, she enjoys fresh voices in Young Adult and New Adult genre fiction.What she is looking for: “I want Historical Romance, just not Regency era. Would love multicultural historical romance and young adult historical romance with LGBT main characters.”

How to Submit: query [@] corvisieroagency.com. Saritza prefers that you paste the 1-2 page synopsis and the first 5 pages to the body of your query e-mail. No paper or faxed submissions will be reviewed. Address your query to Saritza specifically, using the phrase “Query for Saritza: [Name of Submission]” in the email Subject Line.

About Patricia: Patricia received her bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary in 2008, and also holds a master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in Gender Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Before joining the world of publishing, she spent four years as a university-level instructor of literature and writing.

What she is looking for: She is seeking historical fiction set in the 20th century, and a historical single title romance. She is interested in seeing diverse stories and characters, including LGBTQ, in all genres that she represents.

How to Submit: Send query by email to patricia [@] MarsalLyonLiteraryAgency.com. Put “QUERY” in the email subject line. Please include a contact phone number as well as your email address.

About Latoya: Before joining the L. Perkins agency, Latoya C. Smith was an editor for over thirteen years working at publishing houses such as Kensington Publishing, Hachette Book Group, and Samhain Publishing. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Latoya started her editorial career as an administrative assistant to New York Times bestselling author, Teri Woods, while pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree at Temple University. In 2006, Latoya joined Grand Central Publishing, an imprint at Hachette Book Group, where she acquired a variety of titles from Hardcover fiction and non-fiction, to digital romance and erotica. In 2014, Latoya was Executive Editor at Samhain Publishing where she acquired short and long form romance as well as erotic fiction. She was also the winner of the 2012 RWA Golden Apple for Editor of the Year.

What she is seeking: Latoya is seeking romance, erotica, erotic fiction, women’s fiction, women’s thriller, LGBTQ romance and erotic fiction, along with advice/how-to/memoir submissions. Latoya tends to shy away from YA, sci-fi/fantasy, historical, steampunk, and urban fantasy, however if she happens to fall in with projects within those genres, she is happy to represent them.

How to Submit: Please email a query letter containing the following to Latoya@lperkinsagency.com: A brief synopsis, your bio, and the first five (5) pages from your novel or book proposal in the body of your email.

About Margaret: Margaret Sutherland Brown brings a strong background in editorial to the Emma Sweeney Agency as an agent. She previously worked as an Associate Editor at Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press and as a freelance editor. She graduated from Wake Forest University with a BA in English and minors in Spanish and Journalism.

What she is seeking: She’s particularly interested in commercial and literary fiction, mysteries and thrillers, narrative non-fiction, lifestyle, and cookbooks.

How to submit: The agency accept only electronic queries, and asks that all queries be sent to queries@emmasweeneyagency.com rather than to any agent directly. Please begin your query with a succinct (and hopefully catchy) description of your plot or proposal. Always include a brief cover letter telling them how you heard about ESA, your previous writing credits, and a few lines about yourself. They cannot open any attachments unless specifically requested, and ask that you paste the first ten (10) pages of your proposal or novel into the text of your e-mail.